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Law courts—Meru County

Mukuba Dennis, Year VI

Report for a thesis design project presented to the Department of Architecture, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Architecture, University of Nairobi; 2013

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Dedicated to the following Mrs and Mrs Mukuba Mr and Mrs Alutseshe Mr and Mrs Anunda

Mercy Obala Diana Mukuba

Peterson Mukuba

Your influence is enormous.

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The Site

Design Challenges

Aesthetics

Brief Analysis

Functional and Structural Resolution

Visuals

Introduction

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Introduction AS MENTIONED IN THE WRITTEN THESIS JUDICIAL ARCHITECTURE - DEVELOPMENT OF THE COURT IN KENYA, THEREIN RESULTS A PROMPTED NEED FOR EACH PROPOSED COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO OWN A HIGH COURT, OPERATING IN THE SAME MANNER SPECIFIED BY THE KENYAN JUDICIARY SYS-TEM. THE KENYAN JUDICIARY STRUCTURE IS AS SHOWN ABOVE. THE NEW HIGH COURT OF MERU IS PROJECT TO BE ESTABLISHED IN MERU TOWN, MERU COUNTY AS A JUDICIAL FACILITY HOUSING SPACE FOR TRIAL AND AN ICONIC JUDICIAL BUILT FORM CELEBRATING CIVIC WISDOM, WHOSE PLANNING, PHILOSOPHY AND PLACEMENT INFORMS IMPARTIALITY THAT THE

NEW JUDICIAL SYSTEM UPHOLDS. DRAWING INSPI-RATION FROM MERU CULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT, THIS REGIONALIZED ARCHITECTURAL MASTERPIECE PRESENTS THE MERU CONTEXT, BORROWING LES-SONS FROM THE PLANNING OF TRADITIONAL MERU COURT STRUCTURE, HERALDED ASSERTIVELY BY THE NJURI NCHEKE OF MERU ARE THE AMERU PEO-PLE. WHEN THE KENYAN JUDICIARY DECIDED TO UNDER-TAKE TRANSFORMATIONS THAT WOULD : i. ACCLIMATIZE THE PUBLIC TO OPENNESS IN EX-PRESSION TOWARDS THE WAY THE JUDICIARY AND THE COURTS WORK],

ii. PROMPT FOR JUSTICE TO BE BROUGHT PHYSI-CALLY CLOSER TO ALL KENYANS THROUGH THE REQUIRED BUILDINGS AND OTHER STRUCTURES AND THAT iii. ASSERT TO „BRING THE NEW CONSTITUTION TO LIFE’,[JUDICIARY TRANSFORMATION NETWORK, 2012] A MOMENTUM IN ARCHITECTURE PICKED PACE TO RESPOND UNIQUELY TO OUR PLACE AND CULTURE. THE CONSTITUTION OF KENYA PROMOTES VARIOUS FORMS OF NATIONAL AND CULTURAL EXPRESSION, WHICH INCLUDES ATTITUDES TOWARDS BUILT FORM.

THE KENYAN JUDICIARY STRUCTURE

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THE IDEA OF JUDICIAL ARCHITECTURE ROOTING IN-TO THE KENYAN CULTURAL CONTEXT IS DEFINITELY A REGIONALIST ONE. THE HOPE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO PRODUCE A UNIQUE NEW JUDICIAL BUILT FORM THAT GIVES AN AUTHENTIC EXPRESSION OF THE MERU ENVIRON-MENT. PRINCIPLES AND SYMBOLIC SUBSTRUCTURES OF THE

JUDICIAL TRADITION OF THE AMERU PEOPLE, IS HOPED, TO BE TRANSFORMED INTO AN ORIGINAL PIECE OF A REGIONALIST COURT ARCHITECTURE REFLECTING THE IDEALS MODELED BY THE MERU NATIVE TRIBUNALTHE NCHURI NCHEKE - WHICH IS AS A MATTER OF FACT, RECOGNIZED BY THE KEN-YAN STATE AND IS STILL POWERFUL WHEN IT COMES TO POLITICAL DECISION MAKING AND AS A DISPUTE RESOLUTION MECHANISM AMONGST THE MERU.

MERU COUNTY HAS ITS LAW COURTS, LOCATED IN TOWN CENTRE. T HE PRESENT BUILDING DATES BACK TO 1968. IN ITS ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY IS FUNCTIONS EFFEC-TIVELY, BUT THIS BUILDING FAILS TO REPRESENT THE MERU ENVIRONMENT, IN TERMS OF FORM, MA-TERIALITY, STRUCTURE AND OCCUPATION VIZ THE TRIBUNAL COURT IDEA.

NORTHWARDS VIEW OF THE NEW PROPOSES COURTS

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The Site THE SITE FOR THE NEW LAW COURTS OF MERU IS LOCATED IN MERU TOWN, THE HEAD QUARTERS OF MERU COUNTY IN WHAT WAS FORMERLY KNOWN AS EASTERN PROVINCE. MERU TOWN, BEING THE 6TH LARGEST METROPOLIS IN KENYA, FORMS A MU-NICIPAL COUNCIL WITH A POPULATION OF 240,900 RESIDENTS. MERU TOWN IS LOCATED AT 0.047035 DEGREES NORTH AND 37.649803 DEGREES EAST, ON THE NORTH EASTERN SLOPES OF MOUNT KENYA, AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 1524 METRES ABOVE SEA LEVEL. KATHITA RIVER IS ONE OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING PHYSICAL FEATURE CUTTING THROUGH MERU TOWN. THE PREDOMINANT RESI-

DENTS OF MERU ARE THE AMERU PEOPLE. SMALL HISTORY MERU‟S PRESENT LOCATION IS AS A RESULT OF THE EXPLORATIONS AND LIMITATIONS OF MR. EDWARD BUTLER HORNE, THE FIRST DISTRICT COMMISSION-ER OF MERU. THE MERU PEOPLE NICKNAMED HIM KANGANGI, WHICH TRANSLATES TO “LITTLE WAN-DERER” OWING TO HIS SHORT SIZE AND HIS EX-PLORATIVE NATURE. HE CONSTRUCTED A PERMA-NENT CAMP ON A RIDGE OF PARTIALLY UNCULTI-VATED LAND NEAR THE KATHITA RIVER, JUST BE-LOW THE FOREST FRINGE WAS RECOMMENDED. SOME OF THE STRENGTHS OF MERU COUNTY IN-CLUDE:

NATURAL RESOURCES AS MOUNTAINS, KIERA AND

MUUNGUNI HILLS, ARABLE LAND

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS AS MT. KENYA, MERU NA-TIONAL PARK, MERU MUSEUM, NYAMBENE COM-

PLEX

ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES AS MIRAA (KHAT) TRADE, TOBACCO, TEA AND COFFEE FARMING

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THE FOLLOWING PARAMETERS WERE ANALYZED DURING THE SITE SELECTION PROCESS: TOPOGRAPHY SOILS SEWER CONNECTION UTILITIES [WATER; TELEPHONE/ FIBRE

OPTICS; ELECTRICITY] CONSTRUCTION AREA OF SITE PROXIMITY TO EXISTING FACIL-

ITIES EXISTING TREE DAMAGE SITE ACCESS SITE BUFFERS

THE SITE IS OWNED BY THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF MERU. AND LIES WITHIN ZONE 4 - PUBLIC PURPOSE.

IT IS 3.4 HECTARES BIG, AND IS ACCESSED VIA MWENDANTU ROAD , WHICH OVERLOOKS KATHITA RIVER TO THE SOUTH. A SMALL FOREST RESERVE BORDERS IT TO THE NORTH, WITH A SEASONAL STREAM RUNNING THROUGH IT. IT IS APPROXIMATELY 400 METRES AWAY FROM WHERE THE CURRENT LAW COURTS ARE, [ALONGSIDE COUNCIL OF-FICES, MERU MUSEUM, OFFICES OF THE MINISTRIES OF LIVESTOCK, LABOUR AND PLANNING, THE DISTRICT COMMIS-SIONER'S OFFICE AND THE TOWN HALL] ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREAM SINCE 1968 IT HAS BEEN OCCUPIED BY THE KENYA AFRICAN NATIONAL UNION POLITICAL PARTY - MERU BRANCH AND HAS A 70 SQUARE METRE OFFICE OF THE K.A.N.U BRANCH EXECUTIVE OFFICER. RECENTLY, THERE HAS BEEN A PROPOSAL TO PUT UP AN OFFICE BUILDING OF THE MERU CONSTITUENCY DEVELOP-MENT FUND (C.D.F), TO THE EAST OF SITE. CURRENTLY THE SITE HOSTS VERY LITTLE ACTIVITY

Site Attributes

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MAP OF MERU CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT SHOWING THE MIX OF ARCHITECTURE AROUND THE SITE, SANDWICHED BETWEEN THE MERU SPORTS CLUB [17] AND TOWNSHIP PRIMARY SCHOOL [22]. ONE MERIT THIS SITE HAS IS ITS PROXIMITY TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE CENTRE, MARKED IN BLUE ON THE NORTHERN PART OF THE SITE. THE THE SITE LIES RIGHT WITHIN THE MERU CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, IN A SETBACK AREA ENDOWED WITH SUBSTANTIAL ACTIVITY MIX. ITS NEIGN-BOURHOOD CHARACTER IS SHAPED BY A DRAMATICALLY UNDULATING TERRAIN GIVING BUILDINGS VARIED CHARACTERISTICS IN TERMS OF SIZE, MATERI-ALS, ORIENTATION, USE AND ACCESSIBILITY. RIGHT OFF THE MAIN NAIROBI-MERU.ISIOLO HIGHWAY, AT THE JUCTURE THAT DIVIDES RESIDENTIAL ZONE, COMMERCIAL DISTRICT AND ADMINISTRATIVE ZONE, ONE NOTICES THAT THE SITE RECEIVES BALANCED CONTEXTUAL MERITS. FOR INSTANCE, IT TAKES A FEW MINUTES TO MOVE FROM SITE TO THE UPPER AND MIDDLE CLASS RESIDENTIAL ESTATES NORTH EAST, THE CURRENT CIVIC AND ADMINISTARATIVE

ZONE TO THE NOTH, THE BUSY COMMERCIAL ZONE ON THE EAST, AND LOWER RESIDENTIAL AND INDUSTRIAL ZONE TO THE SOUTHERN

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THE SITE GENERALLY SLOPES NORTH EASTERN-WARDS. MWENDANTU ROAD FLANKING THE SOUTHERN PART OF SITE TAKES THE FORM OF A RIDGE THAT AGAIN STEEPLY SLOPES FURTHER SOUTH TO THE BANKS OF RIVER KATHITA. COOL BREEZES IN EARLY MORNING AND LATE EVENINGS ARE EXPERIENCED OVER THIS RIDGE, THERE IS A DEFINITE CHANCE TO ARTICULATE THIS PART OF THE LANDSCAPE AESTHETICALLY >>SURFACE RUN OFF FROM THE SITE TAKES TWO DIRECTIONS; MOST OF IT FLOWS NORTHWARDS TOWARDS THE SEASONAL STREAM, AND SOME OF IT TO THE SOUTHERN PART, INTO DRAINS LEAD-ING TO KATHITA RIVER.

>>THE GEOLOGY OF MERU COUNTY[WHICH LIES WITHIN THE MOUNT KENYA REGION, ALONGSIDE OTHER TOWNS LIKE EMBU(MUYA, KARANJA, ROIMEN,MUTOSOTSO)] IS MAINLY TERTIARY BASIC IGNEOUS ROCKS, UNDERLAIN BY WELL DRAINED, DEEP TO EXTREMELY DEEP, DUSKY RED TO RED-DISH BROWN, CLAY LOAM TO CLAY WITH ACID HUMIC TOPSOILS. >>MERU LIES IN MOUNT KENYA REGION, WHICH IS AN EXTINCT VOLCANO WITH A VESUVIAN TYPE OF ERUPTION (HEINRICH SPECK, 1982). >>THE MOUNT KENYA VOLCANICS CONSIST OF BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE ROCKS, E.G. PHONO-

LITES, TRACHYTES, BASALTS, KENYTES AND SYE-NITES.

Site Attributes - Physical

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Brief and Analysis THE CLIENT FOR THIS PROJECT IS GOVERNMENT OF KENYA, UNDER THE MANDATE OF THE JUDICIARY AND MNISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS.

ACCORDING TO CHIEF JUSTICE WILLY MUTUNGA, IN THE PRESENTATION OF FIRST

STATE OF JUDICIARY REPORT,ON 19TH OCTOBER 2012, BY JUNE 2011, THERE WERE

ONLY 16 HIGH COURT STATIONS AND 111 MAGISTRATE COURTS ACROSS THE COUN-

TRY. FROM A REVIEW CARRIED OUT BY THE JUDICIARY, THIS MEANT THAT THE RA-

TIO WAS 1 JUDGE TO 500,000 KENYANS AND 1 MAGISTRATE TO 90,000 KENYANS.

THERE WAS SEEN A DIRE NEED TO PROVIDE MORE SPACES AND BUILT FORM FOR JUS-

TICE THROUGH, SHORT TERM PLANS: LAUNCHING A MOBILE COURTS INITIATIVE,

WHERE HIGH COURT STATIONS ROUND THE COUNTRY SUPERVISE MOBILE COURTS IN

TOWNS TO THEIR PROXIMITY, AND LONG TERM PLANS: BUILDING A HIGH COURT IN

EACH OF THE NEW COUNTIES DEFINED BY THE NEW CONSTITUTION.

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Brief and Analysis ABOVE IS THE BRIEF PREPARED BY COMMITTEES IN THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE AND THE REGISTRAR - JUDI-CIARY; KENYA FOR PROPOSED COURT HOUSES.BASICALLY THE BRIEF PROPOSED AREAS, WORKED OUT AS A GUIDE TO ESTIMATE COSTS FOR THE PRO-JECT.

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Design Challenges PRINCIPLE STRATEGY

GOAL

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1. Contextual linking of New Court to existing Civic buildings

PRINCIPLE IT IS OFTEN DESIRABLE THAT A CIVIC BUILT FORM SUCH AS LAW COURTS BE CLOSE TO OTHER PUBLIC BUILDINGS SUCH AS COUNTY ASSEMBLIES, GOV-ERNMENT MINISTRY OFFICES, CENTRAL POLICE STATIONSRARIES E.T.C PUBLIC BUILDINGS OFTEN ACCURATELY REFLECT THE BELIEFS, PRIORITIES AND ASPIRATIONS OF A PEOPLE. FOR MUCH OF OUR HISTORY, THE COURT-HOUSE HAS SERVED NOT JUST AS ALOCAL CENTRE OF THE LAW AND GOV-ERNMENT BUT AS A MEETING GROUND, CULTURAL HUB, AND SOCIAL GATH-ERING PLACE - JUSTICE LEWIS F, POWELL JR (U.S. SUPREME COURT, 1972 -1987) COURTHOUSES TRADITIONALLY WERE FOUND IN THE CENTRE OF A TOWN; INSIDE ONE DOUND PUBLIC NOTICES, PUBLIC RECORDS AND TRIALS, WHERE PASSERS BY SOMETIMES WATCHED THE LAW IN ACTION

GOAL TO HAVE A BUILDING HEAVILY USED AS A SYM-BOLIC POINT OF PUBLIC PRIDE CATERING FOR A NON DISJOINTED MEAN-INGFUL PUBLIG ENGAGE-MENT. EARLY COURT-HOUSES OFTEN SHARED SPACE WITH OTHE PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS -

STRATEGY PUNCTATING THE FOOTPATHS THAT CROSS THE FOREST FRINGE NOTH OF THE SITE THAT LEAD TO-WARDS EXISTING PUBLIC BUILDINGS ON THE OTHE SIDE NAMELY: GOV-ERNMENT MISISTRIES' OFFICES, EX-ISTING LAW COURTS, POLICE STA-TION, DC'S OFFICES, COUNTY COUNCIL OFFICES, MUNICIPAL HALL, LIBRARY, POST OFFICE AND MERU MUSEUM

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2. Security and User Segregation

PRINCIPLE THE NEED FOR SECURITY AGAINST ATTACKS FROM PEOPLE BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE COMPLEX, WHILE ENSURING FULL ACCESS TO THOSE ENTITLED MAKES DESIGN INCREASING-LY DIFFICULT. A COURT NEEDS THESE LEVELS OF SECURITY: >>PSYCHOLOGICAL >>PHYSICAL >>ELECTRONIC AND DATA

GOAL TO HAVE A BUILDING HEAVILY USED AS A SYMBOLIC POINT OF PUBLIC PRIDE CATERING FOR A NON DIS-JOINTED MEANINGFUL PUBLIG EN-GAGEMENT. EARLY COURTHOUSES OFTEN SHARED SPACE WITH OTHE PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS -

STRATEGY PLANNING PROBLEMS POSED BY THE SPE-CIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR A COURT-HOUSE MUST BE ADDRESSED, SUCH AS THE FOUR SEGREGATED CIRCULATION ROUTE (FOR

JUDGE,

JURY,

DEFENDANT IN CUSTODY AND

PUBLIC),

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3. External Spatial Expression and Universal Design

ATTITUDE TOWARDS SORROUNDING >>BEYOND A BUILDING THE LAW COURTS COM-PLEX WITHIN THE SORROUNDING IT SITS IN WILL BE AN ADMINISTRATIVE CENTRE. IT IS VERY IM-PORTANT FOR THE PROPOSED BUILDING TO RE-LATE TO THE OLD COURTS COMPLEX TO ITS NORTH AS WELL AS THE ADJACENT ROAD TO THE SOUTH OF SITE >>THE PROPOSED LAW COURTS SHOULD BE PROMINENT TO DEFINE WHAT IS RATHET A SIN-GLE STORY DOMINATED NEIGHBOURHOOD

ATTITUDE TOWARDS SLOPE THE SLIGHT SLOPE IMPLIES A RESPONSE TO THE SITES CONTOURS, ACCENTUATING THE BUILDING

BY HAVING TERRACED SLABS TOWARDS THE NORTH WILL BE A MERIT FOR VIEW

ATTITIDE TOWARDS VEGETATION ALL TREES ON SITE WILL BE MAINTAINED, NOT ONLY AS A CONDITION THE NATIONAL ENVIRON-MENTAL MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY-MERU COUN-TY STIPULATES, BUT TO OFFER PLEASANT SHAD-ED AREAS AROUND THE BUILDING. THE AMOUNT OF TREE COVER WITHIN THE FOR-EST FRINGE BORDERING THE SITE TO THE NORTH BUFFERS NOISE, BREAKS WIND, AND PROVIDES ENOUGH GENUS LOCI, FOR A BUILT FORM LIKE THIS [LAW COURTS - MERU]. ONE OUGHTS TO UNDERSTAND IN TRADITIONAL DAYS, AMERU

COURT SESSIONS HAPPENED UNDER TREES.

ATTITUDE TOWARDS VIEWS AREAS OCCUPIED THROUGH THE DAY SHOULD HAVE PRIORITY OVER TRANSIENT ZONES FOR VIEWS TO THE FOREST FRINGE [NORTH] AND KA-THITA RIVER VALLEY [SOUTH]

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Case study 1– Constitutional Court of South Africa

THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT OF SOUTH AFRICA IN JOHANNES BURG IS SITUATED ON AN OLD FORT COMPLEX DATING BACK TO LATE 1890s. THE FORT, OVER THEYEARS, CHANGED INTO A PRISON [UNTIL 1983] AND OTHER BUILDINGS WERE ALSO CONSTUCTED ON THE SITE, FOR EX-AMPLE THE WOMEN'S JAIL PRECINCT. IT WAS PUT UP BETWEEN 2001 AND 2004, AND ON INAUGURATION ON HMAN RIGHTS DAY IN 2004, ITS INHERENT VISION S WERE REVEALED: TO CELEBRATE THE IDEALS OF A PROGRESSIVE CONSTITUTION, TO COMMEMORATE AND TO GIVE VISIBLE FORM TO THE IDEA THAT ALL PEOPLE ARE EQUAL BEFORE THE LAW [LAW-VILJOEN

2006:8] THE COURTSS UNDERLYING THEME IS "JUSTICE UNDER A TREE", A PHILOSOPHY DEVELOPED RIGHT FROM THE TRADITIONAL IDES OF "IMBIZO" REFERRING TO GATHERING OF PEOPLE TO DIS-CUSS ISSUED CONCERNING THE LAW, IN INFOR-MAL COURT SITUATION IN RURAL VILLAGES AROUND SOUTH AFRICA. THINKING BEHIND THE COURT BUILDING IS DRIV-EN BY A COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL RELATION-SHIPS, RATHER THAN AESTHETIC OR SOME OTHER IMPOSED VALUE SYSTEM. THAT IS WHY, LEAVING AN OFFICE, ONE EXITS A “PRIVATE PLACE AND

MOVES ONTO WHAT IS A PUBLIC STREET OR A SE-RIES OF STREETS. “A JUDGE GOING INTO THE LIBRARY WALKS ALONG ONE LEVEL OF A GALLERY, ENCOUNTER-ING COLLEAGUES ALONG THE WAY”. BY THIS PATH ONE SEES WHAT IS AROUND, WHAT IS HAP-PENING, THE PRIVATE COURTYARD ACROSS AT HILLBROW. “ONE ENGAGES WITH THE WORLD OUTSIDE THAT ROUTE”

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Lessons– Constitutional Court of South Africa

1 THE ENTRANCE FOYER EXPRESSED IS A SUG-GESTS THE OLD AFRICAN CUSTOM OF SETTLING MATTERS AND DISPUTES UNDER A TREE. THIS CONCEPT GAVE RISE TO THE INTERESTING AR-CHITECTURAL TREATMENT OF THIS SPACE BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY

2 THE BEADED FLAG ALLUDES TO TRADITIONAL BEADING, SYMBOLIZING TO NATIONAL PRES-ENCE. ''YOU STAND AT THE PODIUM TO ADDRESS THE JUDGES AND TO EXPLAIN HOW YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS WERE VIOLATED. THE PODIUM IS ELEVATED SO THAT YOU ARE EYE-TO-EYE WITH THE JUDGES AND DO NOT FEEL LOOKED DOWN UPON"

3 THE DOORS TO THE COURT DISPLAY THE ELEVEN OFFICIAL LANGUAGES OF SOUTH AFRICA (AFRIKAANS, ENGLISH, ISINDEBELE. ISIXHOSA, ISIZU-LU, SEPEDI, SESOTHO, SETSWANA, SISWATI, TSHIVENDA AND XITSONGA) PLUS SIGN LANGUAGE

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Case study 2– Supreme Court of Israel

THE SUPREME COURT BUILDING, DESIGNED BY RAM KARMI AND ADA KARMI-MELAMEDE, WAS OPENED IN 1992. ACCORDING TO THE CRITIC RAN SHECHORI, THE BUILDING IS A "SERIOUS AT-TEMPT TO COME TO GRIPS WITH THE LOCAL BUILDING TRADITION". HE WRITES : “IT MAKES RICH AND WIDE-RANGING REFERENCES TO THE WHOLE LEXICON OF ERETZ-ISRAEL BUILD-ING OVER THE CENTURIES, STARTING WITH HE-RODIAN STRUCTURES, THROUGH THE HELLENIS-TIC TOMB OF ABSALOM, THE CRUSADERS, GREEK ORTHODOX MONASTERIES, AND UP TO THE BRIT-ISH MANDATE PERIOD. THIS OUTPOURING IS OR-GANIZED IN A COMPLEX, ALMOST BAROQUE STRUCTURE, BUILT OUT OF CONTRASTS LIGHT-

SHADE, NARROW-WIDE, OPEN-CLOSED, STONE-PLASTER, STRAIGHT-ROUND, AND A PROFUSION OF EXISTENTIAL EXPERIENCES” THE SCHEMATIC DESIGN STAGE FOR THE SU-PREME COURT BUILDING EXPLORED MANY ALTER-NATIVES BEFORE A CONCEPT WAS SELECTED FOR DEVELOPMENT. THE INITIAL APPROACH WAS LARGELY DETER-MINED BY THE EXISTENCE OF THREE AXES WHICH INTERSECT THE SITE

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Lessons– Supreme Court of Israel

1 THE TRANSITION FROM ONE SECTION OF THE BUILDING TO THE NEXT TAKES PLACE THROUGH A GRAND AND DYNAMIC CIRCULATION PATTERN, STARTING AT THE ENTRANCE LEVEL AND PROCEEDING TO THE COURTROOMS ABOVE. THIS MOVEMENT IS PERCEIVED TO BE A FRAGMENT OF A LONGER ROUTE IN WHICH ARCHITECTURAL SPACE MEDI-ATES BETWEEN THE TIME AND LANGUAGE OF TODAY AND THAT OF THE PAST. THUS, THE PROCESSION WITHIN THE BUILDING BECOMES PART OF A GREATER PROCESS, WHEREBY THE SIMPLE ORDER OF THE STRUCTURE IS EXPE-RIENCED AS INTRICATE AND COMPLEX

2 LIGHT WELLS TO LIGHT UP THE INTERNAL SPACES IN COURT . THIS MAINTAINS VISUAL PRIVACY WITHIN THE COURT, OTHERWISE DIFFUSED BY EXTERNAL VISUAL INTERFER-ENCE. IN DISTANCING ITSELF FROM THE STONE FACE OF THE EXTERNAL WALL, DIFFERENT-LY SHAPED AND SIZED LIGHT WELLS ARE DISPERSED THROUGHOUT THE BUILD-ING.THESE VOIDS TURN RAW LIGHT INTO HUMAN LIGHT, REFLECTED IN A PALATE OF SHADES.

3 THE BUILDING WAS POSITIONED AT

AN INTERSECTION IN ORDER TO

REINFORCE THE RELATIONSHIP BE-

TWEEN THE EXECUTIVE, LEGISLA-

TIVE, AND JUDICIAL BRANCHES OF

THE GOVERNMENT AND TO CREATE

A PUBLIC SPACE COMMON TO ALL

THREE

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Case study 3– High Court, Chandigarh

LE CORBUSIER'S CAPITOL WOULD COMPRISE THREE MAJOR BUILDINGS: >>THE ASSEMBLY >>THE HIGH COURT >>THE SECRETARIAT THE COMPOSITION CAN BE COMPARED TO CER-TAIN ASPECTS OF MAYAN ACROPOLIS WHERE ,ONUMENTAL STRUCTURES ARE INVARIA-BLY SITUATED ACCORDING TO AUSPICIOUS ALIGNMENTS AGAINST VAST NATURAL LAND-SCSPED. THE THREE HONORIFIC STRUCTURE WERE DISTIN-GUISHEDFFROM EACH OTHE THROUGH THE USE OF LARGE SCULPTURAL ELEMENTS, THE SPECIFIC

FORM OF WHICH LE CORBUSIER WAS TO ADDUCE FROM THE FLORE AND FAUNA OF THE INDIAN LANDSCAPE. THESE FORMS WERE AUGMENTED BY TECTONIC ELEMENTS EXECUTED IN SHELL CON-CRETE CONSTRUCTION, A PARASOL, A FRUSTRUM AND A HYPERBOLIC VAULT.THESE FEATURES PROVIDE EACH BUILDING WITH A DISTINCTIVE CHARACTER THE HIGH COURT WAS COMPRISED OF SIMILAR TROSES AS FOUND ON THE SECRETARIAT AND AS-SEMBLY. IT WAS COVERED BY GIANT CONCRETE PARASOL DIVIDED INTO ELEVEN VAULED BAYS THAT SERVED TO SHADE THE ENTIRE BUILDING IN CONJUNCTION WITH A SYNCOPATED, RHYTHMIC BRISE SOLEIL RUNNING ACROSS THE AMIN FA-

CADE. THE PATTERN OF THIS CONCRETE SUN-SCREED INDICATED THE PRESENCE OF EIGHT STANDARD COURTROOMS AND THE MAIN TRIBU-NAL WHICH WERE SITUATED TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT, RESOECTIVELY OF THE MONUMENTAL EN-TRY LOGGIA SUPPORTED BY THREE MASSIVE LARGELY SYMBOLIC PIERS RISING FOR THE FULL SEVEN FLOORS. THESE PIERS PAINTED GREEN, YELLOW AND RED WERE MEANT TO SYMBOLIZE THE MANNER THE HIGH COURT PROVED MUCH MORE USEFUL.

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1 CIVIC SPACES NEED TO CO EXIST WITH URBAN

SPACES. THEY SHOULD BE POSITIONED IN A MAN-

NER THAT INCLUDES THEM IN THE DAILY ACTIVI-

TIES OF THE PEOPLE IS JUSTICE IS TO BE SEEN AS

FREE AND FOR ALL. FURTHER, GREAT OPPORTU-

NITIES ARE PRESENTED BY THE IMPULSE OF DE-

VELOPMENT OF CIVIC ARCHITECTURE. IN URBAN

DESIGN, SUCH BUILT FORM EXPRESS CITIES' FOCI.

Lessons– High Court, Chandigarh

2 USE OF LOCAL MATERIALS BEING A POSITIVE DE-

SIGN SOLUTION IN REGIONALIST ARCHITECTURE.

CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN TO ANALYZE CLIMATIC

CONDITIONS OF SPACE, WHICH OPENS UP CRITERIA

FOR VOLUME/FORM RELATIONSHIPS AS WELL AS

THE SCALE OF BUILT FORM. IT IS IMPERATIVE TO

MERGE BUILT FORM WITH LOCAL CULTURE,AND IN

THE CASE OF CIVIC BUILDINGS, DESIGN THAT IS

COMMITED TO LOCAL SOCIO-GEOGRAPHIC RELA-

TIONSHIPS IS MUCH MORE APPROPRIATE THAN ANY

OTHER IMPOSED ARCHITECTURAL VALUE SYSTEMS.

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Structural and Functional resolution

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Structural Concept

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Functional resolution

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Land Use Plan

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Ground and First Floor Plans

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Sections/Elevations

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Aesthetics– Interiors

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Aesthetics– Landscaping A SMALL SEASONAL STREAM PASSES THROUGH THE FOREST FRINGE AND WITH A RIPARIAN WAY LEAVE OF FIFTEEN METRES, IT GIVES PLENTY OF GRASS AND FOLIAGE GROWTH. RECENTLY, A TREE COUNT WAS CONDUCTED BY THE DISTRICT COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE INDICATING THAT A TOTAL OF 50000 INDIGENOUS TREE SPECIES ARE FOUND HERE. WITH SUCH WEALTH OF GREENERY HUMAN ACTIVITIES ARE LIMITED TO RECREATIONAL. THE FOREST FRINGE IN MERU TOWN IS A CENTRAL FEATURE. ITS PLACEMENT IS DEFINITIVE OF MOST OF MERU'S ORIENTIONAL NEEDS.THE FOREST, WHOSE CARE IS UNDER NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY [MERU COUNTY], GAVE BIRTH TO THE FAMOUS NTEERE GROUNDS, AGAIN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TOWN. THERE IS ENOUGH INDIGENOUS AND EXOTIC-TYPE TREES SPECIES ON SITE. THESE VARY FROM THE SIGNIFICANT MERU OAK, BOMBAX CHORI-SI,EUCALYPTUS TO ACACIA AND PODO. THE MAIN LANDCAPING CHALLENGE WAS TO DRAW A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THESE TREES, WITHIN THE PROTECTED FOREST FRINGE, WITH THE NEW DEVELOPMENT. AS AN URBAN DESIGN INTERVENTION, THIS SCHEME ARTICULATES EXISTING FOOTPATHS THOUGH THE SITE AND FOREST FRINGE BY BROADENING SUCH INFORMAL ACCESSES.

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Aesthetics– Landscaping WALKWAY CONNECTING THE NEW LAW COURTS AND CIVIC BUILDINGS OVER STREAM BRIDGE IN-SIDE FOREST FRINGE. COVERED IN PERGOLA, NICHES BREAK THELINE OF MOVEMENT AS WELL AS PROVIDE SEATING SPACES, FOSTERING INTERACTION AND CONVERSATION BETEWEEN VARIOUS USERS OF THE LAW COURTS

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Visuals

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VIEW FROM THE NORTHWARD FOREST FRINGE. THE NCHRU NCHEKE TRIBUNAL COURT OCCUPIES THE SPACES DEFINED BY THE MOUNDS AND TREE

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VIEW FROM THE CUSTODY-VEHICLE DOCK PARKING

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VIEW TO THE MAIN PUBLIC ENTRANCE

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NORTHWARDS VIEW

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THE CHURI NCHEKE TRIBUNAL COURT

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TYOICAL MAGISTRATE‟S COURTROOM